A Changed Life
by EvaJeanie13
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto's whole world was destroyed and it seemed like the end for her. But then she was offered a second chance, to change a world similar to hers and possibly help her counterpart along the way. AU, Time Travel.
1. Chapter 1

So, I know I have A Different Route that I should be updating, but this idea just wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to get some of it out. The start is a little rough, sorry about that, but hopefully it'll be an interesting take on the whole Naruto time travels/dimension hops.

~Naruto~

The end of her world was a major blow, a sucker punch to the gut that threatened to destroy her. The cherry on top of losing everyone she cared for. But finding out that she had the opportunity to save a new world, one almost exactly the same as the one she had just lost, was something that had Naruto jumping at the chance.

Finding out that her counterpart was a boy in the other world, that that was really the only major difference between the two worlds was…a little less exciting.

She really didn't see how things could have remained the same if she was a _guy._

Of course, she was also sent back in time. Or rather, this world, universe, whatever, was slower, or something, and therefore things had not progressed as much as they had in her world.

Or hardly at all.

She was only seven in this world, after all. Or, her counterpart had. She was still nineteen – had just turned nineteen, in fact. On this day: October 10th.

Naruto scratched at her head, groaning. This whole time/universe/world jump thing was insane.

Regardless of that fact she made her way quickly into town. It was her counterpart's birthday as well, after all. And if this world truly was as similar to her own as she'd been told, her counterpart was not having a happy birthday.

She found him cornered in the same alley she remembered from all those years ago. The five stupid drunks who decided the Kyuubi brat was fair game surrounding him.

Needless to say, she wasn't going to let history repeat itself. This attack had landed her in the hospital for two days – and she had only been treated when the old man had ordered it. The whole event was seared permanently into her memory, going down as the worst birthday she had ever had. Well, until her nineteenth birthday and her world was destroyed.

But now, she was here and nobody said she couldn't change things once she made it back.

She took the drunks out. For good measure, she placed a special seal on them. One that would cause them great displeasure should they ever drink alcohol again. Sadly, that seal was not one of her own creations. That seal went to Sakura, who, in a fit of frustration, created it to help shinobi quit drinking. It really didn't do to have drunk shinobi during the war. Not that staying sober had helped them, in the end.

Dusting her hands from the taint of those drunks, Naruto turned to her small counterpart. He was curled in the fetal position, blood smeared across one cheek and staining his orange jacket.

Maybe he wasn't so different from her. After all, orange was the best color in the world and she remembered owning a similar jacket at that age.

With a sigh she bent down, carefully picked him up, and headed for his apartment.

She was also happy to note he lived in the same apartment she had at that age, although it still took her some time to remember where it was. She was used to a Konoha that had been destroyed, rebuilt, and then destroyed once more. All the same, after a few missteps and wrong turns she managed to find the place, a feeling of familiarity washing over her at the sight. It hadn't been a real home, but it had been hers for a long time while she was growing up.

It didn't take long to clean the young boy up, bandaging the wounds that Kurama had yet to heal, and tucking him into bed after changing him into his pajamas. She smiled at his sleeping face, wondering if she had looked just as cute at that age. With a sigh she ran a feather light finger over the whisker marks on his cheeks, her other hand reaching up to touch her own, bare cheeks.

It had been two years since Kurama had sacrificed himself to save her, combining their chakras and saying goodbye forever.

Naruto still missed him, wished he was still with her. The only proof that she had ever held him prisoner, that they had ever become friends, that he had sacrificed himself for her was the color of her chakra, her increased healing factor, her increased senses, and the crimson hair that now spilled across her shoulders instead of the sunshine blonde it had once been.

She really did look like her mother more than her father now, although she was sure her hair was a shade or two lighter – more molten golden red than just fiery red.

The seal was gone, which was no surprise. But so were her possession marks. Of course, she no longer carried the Kyuubi, but it had still come as a shock to her the first time she saw her face and those three lines on each cheek were missing. More so than her hair color. She had never told anyone, but they had been one of her favorite things about her face, even if they had caused her so much grief as a child.

And that ever-present voice in the back of her mind was gone. That comforting warmth in her belly, gone.

He had become her closest friend. And she had lost him only a year after discovering that.

Of course, if truth be told, she had lost everyone. Including Sasuke.

After everything she had gone through to get him back, to save him, she had still lost him in the end.

And, she thought, the worst part about it all were his parting words as he took the blow meant for her.

"Idiot," Naruto murmured, forcing those memories away as she moved to straighten her counterpart's apartment. She didn't want to dwell on _that_. Nor confront her own feelings on the subject matter.

It didn't take long to get the apartment in order. Well, it didn't take long with five shadow clones helping. She wasn't surprised at the state the apartment had been in as she had never been much of a neat freak herself and was pretty sure her own apartment had been just as disastrous as this one when she was seven. After all, she had never had someone to nag her to clean up. She knew this Naruto didn't either.

Once the cleaning was done, she worked her way around the house, placing protective seals on the door and windows. No one but a seal master would notice them, and even then, only if they were looking for them, but they would keep people with ill intentions out of the apartment as those with those intentions would forget where they were headed and why and, hopefully, wander off. It was something Naruto was sure she would have appreciated herself.

Once that was done, she checked once more on her counterpart, smiling down at him. It was surreal, to say the least, but she thought that perhaps the fact that her counterpart was male made this easier, more believable, in a way. Like he was a younger brother, instead of her.

As weird as that sounded.

Of course, she couldn't keep referring to the boy as her counterpart, and while she may be older, she didn't think it right to take his name away from him. Not that she thought she could, because it would raise too many questions if she called herself Uzumaki Naruto when there already was one.

But what name to go by?

Kurama was a choice. He _had_ sacrificed his life for her, after all, and she would be proud to wear his name. But…Naruto would eventually learn Kyuubi's name and in the end that would raise more questions than answers.

Of course…

A smile graced her features. She knew what name she would take.

With that thought in mind, she took her leave; she had things to take care of.

History didn't change itself, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

The first time Naruto sees the strange woman who seems to have become his protector is on his seventh birthday. He had simply slipped out of his apartment and headed to Ichiraku Ramen (because ramen was the best and it was his birthday and Old Man Teuchi always gave him free ramen on his birthday and sometimes Old Man Hokage joined him) when he found himself cornered.

It wasn't an isolated event, not even a rare one, but people tended to be more angry and aggressive on his birthday for some reason. Normally the ANBU jiji sent to watch over him would intervene, but it was Rat's turn, and Naruto knew that Rat did not like him much.

So Naruto tried to get away but still ended up cornered with the five men, already drunk and not even six o'clock yet. The pain from the beating had Naruto's head spinning and the taste of blood at the back of his throat made his stomach churn and he was sure jiji wasn't going to be happy when he ended up in the hospital the next day but he couldn't get away and couldn't fight back.

But then someone was there and the drunks were dropping like flies and before his vision went black Naruto made out a black cloak and red hair and eyes as blue as his.

He wakes up the next morning to knocking on his door and bandages around his waist, tucked comfortably into his bed.

Stumbling to the door he lets Old Man Hokage in and offers a smile and good morning, running a hand through his hair. Jiji asks how his birthday was and why he didn't make it to Ichiraku Ramen and if he was all right and did he spend his whole birthday cleaning his apartment?

This last bit sounds astonished and Naruto notes for the first time that there's no clothes on the floor and no molding cups of ramen on the counters and blinks in surprise.

He also assures jiji that he's okay.

When jiji asks once more what happened yesterday Naruto replies with a bright smile that he was saved by an angel.


	3. Chapter 3

She comes to a halt resting on the Yondaime's (her father's, or at least counterpart's father's) stone head before she breaks down. Knowing what she had to do to protect the future was one thing, deciding what should be done was one thing. Actually doing so was another.

She takes a deep breath. It had been for the best, even if she didn't like taking another's life. She was a ninja after all, and sometimes assassination was the only way.

Unfortunately.

But she knew, knew from her old world – where the old coot had messed up so much, had caused so much trouble and heart ache that had led to Konoha being open to destruction, the world being open to destruction, at least in some small part – that she had to eliminate him as soon as possible.

And it had been ridiculously easy. Easy to slip past his guards (and they say they're better than ANBU, ha!) and place a special seal on his neck.

The seal, of course, was no longer detectable, having already done its job. Now it was only a matter of time.

In the morning, Danzo would wake as usual. Would begin his day, as usual, never aware of the ticking time bomb his brain had become. Because at some point in the day a newly formed aneurysm would burst and that would be the end.

Death by natural causes. Well, natural-ish. It was the most humane way she could kill him. And it simplified things because no one would question it.

It still made her sick to her stomach to think about, even knowing all the people she was saving by doing so. But she couldn't mope for too long. She had other things to take care of. Other things to do. Plus, she wanted to check on Naruto.

~Naruto~

The second time Naruto sees his guardian angel is three months after his birthday. He knows she's been around between then and now because his apartment is kept clean-ish and food appears in his cupboards every two weeks (plenty of ramen to keep him happy, but other foods too, mostly in the form of bento box meals stacked in the fridge because whoever his angel is apparently knows Naruto is not the best cook in the world, or a cook at all), and a few new clothes have appeared in his wardrobe (all sporting orange, because orange is the best color, but with dark blue as well and maybe not as much orange as his favorite jumpsuits but that's okay because the clothes are softer than anything he owns and fit as if tailored for him).

Naruto wakes up to smoke in the air and the sounds of screams. It's early morning, not even the pink of dawn on the horizon, but Naruto jerks out of bed.

Smoke and screams is never a good thing.

He sneaks from his apartment, running through alleyways and back streets, following the sounds and the smell, but stumbles to a halt at what he sees.

The Uchiha compound is burning. It's burning and there's people running about and crying. Shinobi and ANBU alike are carrying children from the compound while others work water jutsus to put out the fires.

Naruto stumbles backwards because he just can't believe what he is seeing. His mouth is dry and his heart is thudding in his chest and his mind races wildly, wondering what happened to Sasuke. Sasuke, the biggest prick in his class, the annoyance who had the attention of everyone because he was an Uchiha and somehow special. The jerk who loved nothing more than to rub Naruto's face in the fact that he had an awesome older brother – although Naruto knows Sasuke never did anything of the sort, but he just can't help but watch the two interact and it really isn't fair.

But now Sasuke's home is on fire and Naruto can pick out the stench of burning flesh and he hopes, just hopes, that maybe the jerk is okay because even if he won't admit it to himself, Naruto does think of Sasuke as a friend. Maybe. Kind of. A possible friend. Probably.

"Naruto?"

The voice is soft and warm and like nothing Naruto has heard before but somehow he recognizes it and he spins around to face her. Her face is shrouded by her black cloak, but he can just make out the ends of crimson gold hair and shadowed blue eyes.

"You shouldn't be out here," she tells him, but she doesn't sound mad, she sounds worried, worried for Naruto and Naruto feels a warmth spread through him. "Let's get you home," the woman continues, scooping Naruto up before he can protest.

There's a feeling of being squeezed, dizziness, and Naruto finds himself in his apartment once more.

"How?" he asks, looking up as the woman sets him down. She smiles at him and ruffles his hair.

"Stay inside until morning, hm?" she says. "Your friend is fine, I promise."

And Naruto nods because for some strange reason he trusts this woman. She nods once more and disappears in a flash of violet light, leaving Naruto standing alone in his apartment once more.

When he goes out the next day it's to rumors about the Uchiha clan heads dead and a coup in the night.

He's relieved to see Sasuke in school, although the amount of attention the Uchiha is getting is ridiculous. Naruto does kind of understand, though, when he hears the jerk lost his mother and father in the coup, along with most of the adult members of his clan. But when Itachi picks Sasuke up from school at the end of the day Naruto can't help but be bitter. At least Sasuke still has family.

~Naruto~

The next time he sees his protector Naruto has just finished pulling one of his pranks. He is racing away from the ANBU and laughing hysterically because it's so easy to ditch them when he passes near a clearing and catches sight of red hair and a black cloak.

He skids to a stop because he knows, knows, that no one in Konoha has red hair quite like that and while he doesn't know her well, has never seen her around the village before except to interact with him, something tells him this is his guardian angel.

He goes to approach, wondering just what she is doing standing in front of the big black stone that sits in the middle of the clearing when he hears soft sniffles and realizes she might be crying.

Naruto wants to go up to her, to hug her, because she's the nicest person he's ever met besides maybe jiji and Old Man Teuchi and his daughter and Naruto doesn't think she should be standing there, crying, without anyone to comfort her, but he stops himself.

Something tells him he shouldn't bother her. Not this time.

So instead Naruto turns around, heading back off into the forest to lead the ANBU around and away from the clearing on their wild goose chase. The least he can do is keep the clearing free from people who would no doubt wonder what she was doing there.


	4. Chapter 4

The fourth time Naruto sees his protector he actually gets to talk with her. It's his eighth birthday now and while he hadn't caught sight of her since that day in the clearing, there were still the clear signs that she was around. Naruto gathered that she visited him at least twice a month, although he had never caught her at it.

At one point he had tried, staying up late at nights, waking up early, hoping to catch her entering his apartment, but all that that had resulted in was him being overly tired and Iruka-sensei being angry because he kept falling asleep in class.

It's his birthday again and this time jiji actually shows up to take him out for ramen, which surprises Naruto. The old man asks him how he's doing in school and about his recent pranks before asking Naruto if there was anything he wanted to tell him.

Naruto hesitates for a moment because besides that one time, last year, when he told jiji he'd been rescued by an angel Naruto hasn't mentioned his visitor at all. He doesn't know why he hasn't said anything to the old man, but every time he goes to tell him, he hesitates.

He's pretty sure the woman means no harm to Konoha, has been in and out for a year now and hasn't done more than stop those drunks last year, keep Naruto's apartment cleaned and stocked (and fixed because Naruto knows it wasn't his landlord who fixed his broken hot water pipe three months ago), bring Naruto home when he had almost wandered into the Uchiha warzone, and occasionally chased off a person or two who decided it would be fun to pick on Naruto. Naruto has never actually seen her do this but he does have really good hearing and the men were never very quiet in their shouts about a black-cloaked demon.

Still, Naruto's not sure she's a Konoha nin and he knows the old man is still the hokage and probably wouldn't appreciate knowing that someone has been breaking into Konoha on a regular basis without his knowledge.

So instead of telling jiji about her he simply smiles and denies there's anything to tell before eating his body weight in Ichiraku Ramen.

He doesn't miss the calculating look in jiji's eyes, but doesn't acknowledge it either and jiji drops the subject, turning to enjoy his own bowl of ramen before wishing Naruto a happy birthday and returning to his hokage duties.

When Naruto makes his way home he surprisingly runs into no trouble, or maybe not so surprisingly because it's Dog on his ANBU duty tonight and Dog is the most vigilant of his secret guardians. (Jiji doesn't know that he knows about the ANBU the old man has watch him. Naruto doesn't even think the ANBU know he's onto them, and while he doesn't understand why he warrants the protection, he is grateful for it).

He unlocks his apartment and enters, relieved once more to find no one's broken in and trashed the place. Of course, no one's broken in in a year and Naruto wonders briefly if his protector has anything to do about that. But then he notices a light on in the kitchen and frowns because he knows he turned all the lights off. He heads into the kitchen and comes to a stop, mouth dropping open in disbelief.

His protector is standing there, still cloaked in black but the hood is down and her hair is wild around her shoulders and down her back and her eyes are sparkling as she holds a messily frosted orange cake with eight candles.

The sparkle slowly fades from her eyes as Naruto continues to stare and her smile slips off her face, leaving her looking more apprehensive than anything else. She opens her mouth to say something but Naruto beats her to it.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto blurts out. He didn't mean for it to come out accusatory but he's so shocked that she's here, that she's made him a cake, that his brain has pretty much decided it can't process anything and that's the first thing to come out of his mouth.

She frowns a little, placing the cake on the table next to a bright orange package, and scratches the back of her head. She doesn't seem offended, merely embarrassed. And maybe a little out of her depth but that's okay because Naruto feels exactly the same way.

"I wanted to wish you a happy birthday," she says and her voice is just as melodic and soothing as Naruto remembers it to be. "But, I guess that's a little weird of me, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah," Naruto says. "Nobody but jiji ever wants to wish me a happy birthday. Well, him and Old Man Teuchi and Ayame."

She gets this strange look in her eyes as he mentions those people and her lips twist in an amused kind of smile.

"It's not because I'm a stranger?" she asks.

"You're not a stranger!" Naruto lets slip, because it's true. He may have never really spoken to her before, and granted this was only the fourth time he's ever laid eyes on her, but she's been puttering around in his life for a year now. Yeah, sure, never out in the open, but in secret and somehow Naruto is okay with that. There's also this strange feeling that he knows her, although he doesn't know why he feels that way.

She laughs at his outburst and raises an eyebrow at him, as if challenging his statement.

"Well, sure, I don't know your name," Naruto says. "And we've never really talked, but well…" He's not sure he can explain why he just trusts this person, why she doesn't feel like a stranger because he can't even explain it to himself.

Before he can say more there's a hand ruffling his hair affectionately and a warm glow fills his chest as he looks up at sparkling blue eyes, so like his own.

"Call me Aratana," she tells him. "And I'm glad we aren't strangers. Now let's eat some cake before the candles melt all over it!"

"You haven't even lit them," Naruto tells her, at which point she forms a hand sign and blows at the candles. They burst into flames and she laughs at the wide-eyed surprise on Naruto's face.

But then Naruto grins and closes his eyes, making a wish (for family, for friends because that is always his wish) and blows them out.

The cake is chocolate because it's the best flavor in the world and if it's a little lopsided and maybe a little over cooked Naruto doesn't care because it's the best (only) birthday cake he's ever had.

And then Aratana gives him his present which he opens enthusiastically, tearing through the orange paper and grinning madly at the brand new set of kunai and shuriken he finds inside.

"I figured, since you'll be starting to learn how to throw live ones soon, you should have a set of your own," Aratana says, grinning at his enthusiasm.

Naruto jumps up and throws his arms around her, thanking her profusely and ignoring the way she had momentarily frozen at his hug before returning it wholeheartedly. She then shows him how to care for his new weapons before sending him off to get ready for bed while she cleaned up the mess they made in the kitchen.

She's there when Naruto crawls into bed and she pulls the covers up to his chin, placing a gentle kiss on his head that causes Naruto to freeze in shock and feel all warm and tingly at the same time.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto-kun," she whispers, heading out his door and turning off the light.

"Aratana-san," Naruto calls out, stopping her before she could disappear.

She turns to him, eyebrow raised in question.

"Will I see you again?" Naruto asks. He asks because it's been the best birthday he's ever had and he's never had someone to celebrate with beyond ramen with jiji and Old Man Teuchi and Ayame and he's afraid that maybe this has all been a dream and Aratana won't be real and he'll wake up and find none of this happened and the thought scares him more than he's willing to admit.

Aratana smiles, a true, soft smile that makes Naruto feel warm. "I'll be around," she says. "Get some sleep."


	5. Chapter 5

The next time Naruto sees Aratana is three weeks later. He's in one of the training grounds with his new set of shuriken, practicing his aim.

"Darn it!" Naruto shouts, missing his target for the umpteenth time and becoming increasingly frustrated. Sasuke had made it look so easy in class, had made a complete fool out of Naruto (especially after the clone fiasco and he's already given up on trying to make one of those because it seems impossible) and even Iruka-sensei had told everyone to ignore Naruto after he failed. "Why can't I just get this right?"

Naruto brushes at the tears threatening to spill from his eyes and growls in irritation.

"Maybe because Mizuki taught you the wrong stance."

Naruto spins, because he recognizes that voice, and a grin breaks out across his face, banishing the tears. "Aratana-san!"

"Hey, kiddo," Aratana ruffles his hair, crouching down to his level and smiling at him. "How've you been?"

Naruto doesn't doubt that she sees the blotchiness to his face or the tear tracks on his cheeks from the few tears that had managed to escape him but she doesn't say anything and he is glad.

"Just practicing cause I'm going to be the best, believe it!"

Aratana giggles and nods her head before becoming serious. "I do," she says. Naruto's heart flutters at the complete sincerity in her voice as she tells him that and he can't help but offer a true smile in return. "How about I help you along?"

"Really?" Naruto asks, because Aratana has never offered to train him before. Of course, she's never met him on the training grounds before either.

"Really," Aratana says. "Now, show me your stance one more time."

Naruto nods, getting into position as if he is planning on throwing a shuriken and waiting, remembering the first thing Aratana said upon finding him here – that he was taught the wrong stance. He wonders why Mizuki-sensei would show him wrong, but the answer is pretty obvious: everyone hates him. Well, everyone but jiji and Old Man Teuchi and Ayame-nii-chan and now Aratana-san.

And Aratana flits around him, correcting his stance, which is just slightly off but not enough that he would have realized it himself by watching others, before giving him a few pointers on how to throw and flick his wrist and how to aim.

"Now try," Aratana says, stepping back.

Naruto nods, biting his lip in concentration as he takes careful aim and flicks his wrist, letting his shuriken fly. And it hits dead center.

"I did it, believe it!" Naruto cheers.

"Well done," Aratana says, ruffling his hair once more. "That was perfect. Now, I want you to do that a hundred more times."

"What?" Naruto asks, jaw dropping.

"It creates muscle memory," Aratana explains. "So that soon, you'll be able to do this," here she throws ten shuriken (without even looking!) and hits the bulls eye on ten different targets, "just as quick as that."

"Wow," Naruto breathes, impressed because that was a hundred times better than Sasuke, who had hit the same target with his shuriken, and if he can do that then maybe someone would acknowledge him as the great ninja he is. "I want to try!"

Aratana chuckles. "Take it easy there. Start with one and perfect throwing that. Then we'll move on to more, okay?"

"You really mean it?" Naruto asks, because that's as good as Aratana saying she'll be around more often, training with him like Itachi trains with Sasuke or Kiba with his sister.

"Of course," Aratana says, blue eyes sparkling.

"Alright!" Naruto cheers, and returns to his task. He'll perfect this; he knows he can now, because Aratana believes in him.

~Naruto~

Naruto sees Aratana twice more that week and she keeps him throwing single kunai and shuriken with both arms until he's sure they'll both fall off. But he's done it. It takes him but a glance now and he can hit the bull's eye every time. Of course he knows that its only one kunai or shuriken he's throwing and his targets are stationary, but it's something, and Aratana is pleased with him.

They move onto two kunai or two shuriken and it's the same process all over. Naruto would complain but Aratana has given him more examples of just what he'll be able to do as long as he doesn't take shortcuts and it's awesome and he can't wait to get that good but he acknowledges that it's going to take time (only acknowledges it because he's sure Aratana will pummel him if he tries to cut corners).

It's on the second day of training with four kunai and four shuriken that Aratana meets Naruto at his house afterwards for dinner (not an unusual occurrence) and a serious expression on her face (one Naruto hasn't really seen before). The expression worries Naruto but when she doesn't say anything he enjoys the food – not as good as ramen but apparently healthier for him and Aratana insists he won't grow stronger if he doesn't eat healthier – and it's only as Aratana stands to wash the dishes and Naruto stands to help dry them that Aratana finally speaks up.

"Naruto-kun, I'm going to be gone for a couple of weeks," she begins.

Naruto feels his shoulders droop because he was getting used to having Aratana around a few times a week, even if it's only been two and a half months since she was around that much.

Aratana laughs. "Don't act like that," she scolds lightly. "It's not like I'll be gone forever. There's just something I need to take care of and the opportunity's come up for me to do so."

Naruto looks up at her, blue eyes questioning. "What is it?" he asks, because he really wants to know just what Aratana is up to all the time and where she goes when she's not around and just what it is she does.

"Nothing you need to worry about," she tells him, flicking soap bubbles at his nose. "But, while I'm gone I want you to keep practicing your aim. Once you can throw four weapons at once and hit the targets a hundred out of a hundred times I want you to move up to five. The principle stays the same. I should be back before you move on to six."

Naruto nods.

"And Naruto-kun," she says, meeting and holding his gaze. "I'll know if you don't do things properly."

"Of course," Naruto laughs. "I've got to learn the proper way, it's how I'll get stronger, believe it!"

"I do," she says, handing Naruto the last dish to dry and draining the sink. "Now go get ready for bed."

"Yes ma'am," Naruto says, placing the last dish in the cupboard (Aratana insists they go in cupboards and not sit out on the counters all the time) and hurrying to grab his pajamas before ducking into the bathroom.

Naruto has come to love this part, where he's climbing in bed and Aratana is there to pull the covers up to his chin and kiss his forehead. It makes him feel like maybe he's not so alone in the world.

"You take care of yourself," Aratana tells him. "And _listen_ to your teachers."

Naruto frowns because Aratana seems nervous about something but he brushes those worries away and nods, letting her know he understands.

"And please, make sure you eat more than just ramen while I'm gone."

"But Aratana-san," Naruto whines, because really, ramen is the best. But Aratana levels this look at Naruto and Naruto nods his head because for some reason he can't say no to her.

"Good," she says, smiling once more. "Sleep well, Naruto-kun," she says, kissing his forehead once more and heading for the door. "I'll see you in a few weeks."

"Night, Aratana-san," Naruto says sleepily in reply. "Be safe."

There's the touch of a smile on her mouth as he says that and then the lights are out and Naruto is drifting off.

~Naruto~

The next day at school consists of the ever present teasing and Naruto tells himself to ignore it, that it doesn't matter, that he has Aratana now, but it still hurts that he doesn't have any real friends. So when he overhears a group of kids discussing a fear challenge he can't help but want to join in.

But the kids tell Naruto to basically get lost and Naruto is mad and jealous and maybe a little sad because he was hoping that maybe he could make some friends.

But he's not going to let them drag his mood down; he wouldn't be Naruto Uzumaki if he did, so instead he plans a prank for them. The market place has the perfect mask available for his plans and Naruto has some spending money saved up, just enough he should be able to buy the mask.

So he goes to look at the mask and ask the shop owner for it, only the owner freaks out and starts yelling at him to get out. The commotion has attracted the attention of other customers and passersby and the whispering starts, glares thrown at Naruto and he just can't understand why everyone seems to hate him.

"Is this what you want?" the shop owner demands, throwing the mask at Naruto and hitting him in the head. "Take it and get out of here!"

Tears are threatening to spill now but Naruto won't let them so instead he grabs the mask and runs off, hating the looks thrown his way as he runs. He hadn't meant to make anyone mad, he had just wanted the mask, but it seems that even if jiji and Old Man Teuchi and Ayame-nii-chan and Aratana-san like him no one else does. He's just "that child" or "that thing" to everyone else.

Naruto pushes that thought to the back of his mind though, because he's lucky to have those that he cares about care about him and having four people care is a lot, and instead he starts to set up his prank.

It's hilarious how scared the other kids get and Naruto can't stop laughing even when Iruka-sensei shows up, unimpressed with the 'fox spirit'.

But when Iruka-sensei starts yelling at him Naruto realizes he may have messed up. Of course, at this point it's obvious that Iruka-sensei doesn't care about him, looks at him just like everyone else, and Naruto wants nothing to do with him now, or the academy in general. He'll join Aratana when she gets back, get her to teach him how to be a ninja because no one else will and no one wants him around anyways.

So Naruto shouts at Iruka-sensei that he's not going to the academy anymore and runs off.

He cries himself to sleep that night and desperately wishes Aratana were there to tuck him in and make everything better. A part of Naruto wonders how he came to expect that in the short time Aratana had been doing it but he has to admit that it's nice and wonderful and he misses it.

The next day he spends in the woods, practicing his aim with four kunai first, then four shuriken and getting it down perfect.

His arms ache and his vision is so blurry he stumbles home and crawls into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

He's woken the next morning by a knocking on his door and peeking out he sees Iruka-sensei there. Not understanding why his teacher is there and determined never to go back to the academy Naruto sneaks out through his window, laughing at how easy it was to escape from Iruka-sensei.

The kids who teased him before run into him on the street and then they are offering to let him join them as long as he retrieves a souvenir from the forest first. Apparently a bunch of enemy spies had been caught there but things had been left and for Naruto to prove his worth he has to retrieve one of those things.

Naruto agrees because then he'll finally have friends, and races off to complete his task. It never once crosses his mind that the boys are setting him up as he jumps from root to root in the dense growth of trees and searches for where the battle took place.

"Naruto."

Naruto looks up, shocked, because Iruka-sensei is there and telling him he has to go back to the academy and to listen because he is Naruto's teacher.

Naruto laughs at that, telling Iruka-sensei that he's only a teacher when it suits him. Iruka-sensei reaches for him but Naruto's not going back so he performs his sexy-jutsu, laughs as Iruka-sensei passes out, and runs off. He's never going back to the academy after all, and he wants to find this souvenir so that he can have friends.

Of course, his stomach chooses right then to remind him that he had skipped not only dinner the night before but breakfast as well. But Naruto is good with making do with what is available and a bird's nest catches his eye.

Thinking the eggs in there would be able to tide him over until he returned home he climbs the tree and peers into the nest. A glint of silver catches his eye and he withdraws the strange double-pronged blade, a grin splitting his face. He's found a souvenir and now he can go back and make friends.

Climbing down he turns to head back to the village when three unfamiliar ninjas land in front of him and demand he give them the blade.

Naruto shouts at them and tucks the blade away, performing his sexy jutsu once more.

Of course he's very unlucky when all three ninja turn out to be girls and therefore not affected and soon he's dodging kunai and shuriken. Most miss but a few manage to cause shallow cuts and Naruto runs off, picking up the thrown weapons as he goes and throwing them back towards the enemy.

A small smile graces his lips as cursing follows and he knows he hit one of them. Thanking Aratana in his mind he continues running, leading the enemy ninja into the various traps set up in the forest and hoping to get away.

Aratana's words to him ring in his head, reminding him that he was supposed to listen to his teachers and he cringes. Aratana would not be happy with how he'd acted around Iruka-sensei and now that he's looking back he realizes he should have listened to both of them.

And then he hears Iruka-sensei calling for him and he shouts, tripping through some bushes and tumbling down a steep slope before hitting his head.

Everything is blurry and fuzzy and Iruka-sensei is there saying something about how Naruto is his student and there's a warm fuzzy feeling in Naruto's stomach that has nothing to do with his head injury. But the world is swimming and Iruka-sensei's shouting and manhandling aren't helping and the world grows dimmer before going black completely.

Naruto's last thought is that jiji _and_ Aratana aren't going to be happy with him.


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto has perfected throwing five shuriken or five kunai and hitting the mark every time. He's quite proud of himself, but he is holding off upping the number to six. He's not quite sure yet how to go about throwing more than five with one hand and wants Aratana there to show him and to tell him he's ready.

He's back at the academy now, has been for two weeks. Iruka-sensei has changed a lot since that fiasco in the woods, too. He scolds Naruto for goofing off and teaches him properly and even treats him to Ichiraku Ramen on occasion – turns out having a love of the same food as your sensei is pretty much awesome.

The first time Iruka-sensei treated him was after he'd recovered from the tumble he took in the woods. Iruka had lost the blade he found – of course – but had taken Naruto to ramen to appease him, and apologize for how he had treated Naruto before (and doesn't this confuse Naruto because no one has ever apologized for treating him badly before).

The second time was after class one day. They had been working on shuriken jutsu once more and Iruka-sensei had been impressed with Naruto's improvements over the past several weeks. So in celebration they'd gone to ramen.

But now it's been over three weeks and Aratana had said she'd be gone about this long and Naruto can't wait for her to return. He has so much to tell her and really wants to show her how good he's gotten at shuriken jutsu, but also he misses just having her be around.

It's a strange thing for him: missing someone.

But she doesn't show up while he's training once more and slowly Naruto trudges back to his apartment. He's tired and hungry and his arms are still sore (he's pretty sure they don't know how to feel normal any longer), but he can hit his targets one hundred percent of the time with five shuriken or kunai (each one hitting a separate target, take that, Sasuke!) and it feels good to have mastered that.

He unlocks his door and heads in, half wondering if he has enough energy to cook something or if he just wants to crawl in bed and sleep, when the smell of cooking food hits him. He takes another deep breath, instantly more awake as the light on in the kitchen draws him near.

A grin spreads across his face as he enters the apartment and sees the now familiar figure, red hair pulled into a ponytail, focusing on the food that is cooking on the stove.

Naruto can't stop himself as he rushes forward, barely noticing that Aratana had turned just in time to catch his hug and wrap her arms around him.

"You're back!" Naruto cries out, inhaling her scent – a mix of wind and dirt and some sort of spice – before pulling away to grin up at her.

Aratana smiles and ruffles his hair before turning to pull the food off the stove.

"I said I would be, didn't I?" she asks, handing him a plate full of food.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheers, turning and placing the plate on his small table before accepting the next one and doing the same.

"You've done well with your training," Aratana comments as she takes a seat at the table.

Naruto nods, wondering just when she found that out, as he digs into the food. "Iruka-sensei says I'm very talented with shuriken-jutsu. Not as talented as Sasuke, though," Naruto says, making a face as he says so.

Aratana laughs. "Give it time," is all she says in reply, but the rest is unspoken and Naruto feels his heart swell at the implication that he'll be better than Sasuke one day.

"Yeah, and Iruka-sensei took me out to ramen to celebrate," Naruto begins, the whole story of the past three weeks spilling from his lips as Aratana listens to him attentively.

And that's another thing that throws Naruto for a loop: no one has ever given him their full attention (not jiji or Old Man Teuchi or even Iruka-sensei), and yet Aratana does so and Naruto finds he likes having someone listen to him.

"And how was your trip?" Naruto asks, finally pausing in his story for a breath and looking at Aratana.

"Successful."

Naruto pouts that she doesn't tell him more than that but latches onto that word – successful generally means a mission.

"Are you a shinobi?" Naruto asks, before a blush stains his cheeks. "I mean, a Konoha shinobi. I know you're a shinobi."

Aratana stares at him, a strange look in her eyes and Naruto's ramblings trail off.

"No," she replies.

Naruto stares at this because he had never been sure but now he knows Aratana isn't from Konoha.

"Oh," is all he can muster for a moment, before, "What village are you from, then?"

Aratana quirks an eyebrow at him. "You're not worried that I'm here in Konoha and I'm not a Konoha shinobi? You're not going to rush off and tell the Sandaime that I'm here?"

Naruto's jaw drops as he stares at her because whywould he do that? "You haven't done anything wrong," Naruto informs her. "Although how you sneak in is beyond me."

Aratana chuckles a little, a mischievous glint in her eyes before turning serious. "My village was destroyed several years ago, so I suppose you could say I don't have one."

"Then you should move to Konoha!" Naruto decides. "Jiji will make you a jonin for sure!"

Aratana shakes her head. "I can't," she says. "Not yet. There are things I need to do before I can settle down anywhere."

"Wha-oh," Naruto says, sinking into his chair once more.

"Hey," Aratana says, kicking his leg lightly. "That doesn't mean I won't be around."

"Really?" Naruto asks.

"Would I lie to you?" Aratana asks in return.

Naruto frowns at this because he wants to answer no, but he's pretty sure she has lied to him before. Instead he shrugs it off.

"So I guess I shouldn't tell anyone about you then, huh?" he says instead.

"You can tell whomever you want about me," Aratana tells him.

"But won't that get you into trouble?"

"Only if I get caught."

"But…" Naruto trails off. He was about to protest that jiji could send _ANBU_ after her, but if he can get away from even his most attentive ANBU watcher, Dog, then he's sure that Aratana would have no problem leaving any ANBU agent high and dry. Especially if she's been sneaking in and out of Konoha for over a year to see Naruto without drawing suspicion.

"But?" Aratana prompts, her eyes sparkling once more in a look that reminds Naruto of himself when he's pulled off an awesome prank.

Naruto grins. "You never get caught, do you?"

And Aratana laughs.

~Naruto~

Aratana hangs around for several months, coming and going secretly from the village and helping Naruto master shuriken jutsu. She doesn't stay with Naruto, but she tucks him in at least twice a week and generally has a meal with him during the days. Naruto briefly wonders where she goes when she's not hanging out with him and what she does on the days she doesn't show up, but for all his prodding and asking Aratana never says.

It had been a long day at school, even though they'd been let out early in anticipation of the festival tomorrow. Naruto makes his way back to his apartment, not in the mood to train. He throws his bag on the ground the minute he gets inside and scowls at the papers that slip from the inside.

He'd failed another test. He'd failed and felt stupid and Iruka-sensei had lectured him and several kids had made fun of him for being the dead last in the class. At this rate, he was never going to be a ninja.

And that thought brought a burning sensation to his eyes.

It wasn't his fault that their pre academy teachers refused to teach him to read and therefore written tests were the worst because he could only make out about half the characters and only that because he had spied and watched as the other kids were taught to read and write.

But he supposes it is his fault he hasn't asked anyone for help. It's just … he's embarrassed. He's turning nine tomorrow and he still doesn't know how to read. He's turning nine and he can't even write properly. And all Iruka-sensei cares about is his abysmal writing skills and the fact that he got almost all the answers wrong.

Naruto growls to himself and brushes at the tears gathered in his eyes. He isn't a baby. He isn't going to cry like one. He isn't.

"Hey, Naru-kun, what's wrong?"

The tears he's telling himself he's not going to shed explode from him in a loud sob at that soft voice and he flings himself into the open arms of the only person in the world who has taken the time to really get to know him.

He clings to Aratana's blue shirt, fingers curling in the soft fabric as he cries. He feels Aratana wrap her arms around him, holding him close, one hand rubbing soothing circles on his back in the way he thinks a mother would.

Naruto isn't sure how long he cries, soaking Aratana's shirt with snot and tears, but she doesn't seem to mind. She holds him, rocking them back and forth softly and humming quietly in his ear as he feels his strength drain away with the tears. He can't bring himself to pull away from Aratana as darkness settles around his vision like a cloud and pulls him gently down.

The last thing he is aware of is feeling Aratana pick him up gently and hearing a soft whisper of "Everything will be okay," before the darkness claims him completely.


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto wakes up to the smell of pancakes and bacon cooking. His eyes feel rather gummed up and his head pounds as he crawls out of bed to find himself in his clothes from the day before. He supposes that's okay; the idea of Aratana changing him into his pajamas is embarrassing.

Of course, he had cried himself to sleep on her and the idea of having done that is also embarrassing, but when he stumbles into the kitchen he sees a brightly wrapped package and a towering pile of pancakes on the table for him next to a tall glass of water and two small white pills.

"Happy birthday, Naru-kun," Aratana says, flipping more pancakes off the grill and onto another plate. She turns to smile at him, showing no sign of disgust over his embarrassing display last night.

Naruto feels something warm and light curl in his stomach and he approaches the table, a smile forming on his face. He pulls himself onto his seat and pokes at the two little white pills before taking a gulp of his water.

"Those are for the headache, if you want," Aratana explains, pouring more pancake batter onto the grill and filling the kitchen with the sound of sizzling.

Naruto blinks at her, wondering just how she knew he had a headache.

"I always get headaches in the morning when I cry myself to sleep," Aratana says.

Naruto blinks at her, wondering when she learned to read minds. Finally, he nods and downs the two little pills with a sip of water, wrinkling his nose at the taste they leave behind.

Aratana laughs, placing another plate of pancakes on the table and taking a seat across from him. "You're rather quiet this morning, Naru-kun."

There's worry in her eyes that warms Naruto up more, though he can't explain why. "Guess I'm still waking up," he says, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks for the food!" and he digs in, not realizing how hungry he was until the first bite hit his stomach.

Aratana laughs as he devours the pancakes and bacon in front of him, pushing the second plate to him before standing up to make more. Naruto digs in with gusto, the idea that Aratana is here and making him breakfast for his birthday finally, truly, sinking in and Naruto can't believe his good fortune.

"So, Naru-kun," Aratana begins as she washes the dishes. She refuses to let Naruto help dry and put them away today, explaining that it's his birthday and he doesn't need to do any work. Naruto looks up at her from his contemplation of the brightly wrapped gift in front of him.

"Yeah, Ara-nee?" Naruto tests the nickname out, unsure how Aratana would react and fearful that maybe she wouldn't like it.

Instead, she smiles widely at him. "About time," she mutters. The statement confuses Naruto but he ignores it, waiting to see what she wanted to talk about. He watches as she dries the last dish, placing it in the cupboard before turning to face him. "What do you say I teach you to read and write properly?"

Naruto stares at her, blinking stupidly. He can feel his face heat up as the words register and he scowls at her. "What makes you think I can't read?" he demands.

Aratana smiles softly, not at all offended nor could Naruto sense any disappointment from her. "It's nothing to be ashamed of," she says. "I didn't learn until I was almost twelve."

Naruto blinks at her, feeling honestly stunned at that statement. Aratana was one of the smartest people he had ever met and the idea that she hadn't known how to read for that long of a time was strange.

"So, what do you say?" Aratana asks. She sounds hesitant again, as if afraid Naruto would say no. Naruto blinks in shock as he realizes that she isafraid he would say no.

He lets a grin split his face. "Yeah! I'd like that," he admits. It would be nice to be able to understand things better. Maybe then he'd stop failing all those written tests.

Aratana smiles back. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that. After all, writing is the basis of fuuinjutsu."

"Fun in whatsit?" Naruto asks.

"Fuuinjutsu," Aratana explains. "The art of sealing." She grins at him, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Something the Uzumaki were famous for."

Naruto feels his mouth fall open at that but can't seem to close it. There's a knock on his door, startling him out of his stupor and Naruto blinks to find Aratana is gone.

He goes to shout at her, because she couldn't just drop something like that on him and disappear, but the knock sounds again, reminding him that someone is at his door and he does not want whomever it is to find out about Aratana. With one last glance at the present still wrapped neatly on his kitchen table Naruto goes to answer the door. After all, he could always interrogate Aratana later.

~Naruto~

Naruto swirls the ramen in his bowl, watching the noodles twirl. It had been jiji at his door, come to take him to ramen for lunch before the festival began in full swing. To say Naruto was surprised was an understatement. He had thought last year when jiji had come to take him to ramen had been a fluke, merely the old man feeling bad that Naruto had been attacked on his birthday the year before and wanting to prevent another such occurrence.

But then jiji had shown up again, smiling cheerfully at the boy and inviting him to ramen. And of course Naruto couldn't say no, even if he had just finished a massive amount of pancakes not two hours ago.

"Something the matter, Naruto-kun?" Jiji's voice pulls Naruto from his thoughts. Naruto glances up with a grin, idly noting the worry in the old man's eyes.

"Nope," Naruto replies, wondering why the old man was worried before slurping up a mouthful of noodles.

"Hmm," jiji says. "You're just awfully quiet today. Nothing's happened at school, has it?"

Naruto wonders if Iruka-sensei said anything to jiji about yesterday and his failing grades but pushes those thoughts away.

"No, school's fine," Naruto says instead. He doesn't want to bring up his failing grades or his inability to read. After all, he was already getting help for the latter, which would hopefully help with the former in the future.

"Then, is something else bothering you?"

Naruto chews on his lip, debating whether to ask before shrugging. He didn't see why he couldn't ask jiji some of his questions. After all, he was the hokage and smart. He should know some things.

"What do you know of fuuinjutsu?" Naruto asks.

Jiji literally chokes on his bite of ramen, his eyes widening in shock as he turns to stare at Naruto while coughing slightly to clear his throat.

Naruto waits patiently, blinking innocently at jiji. The reaction was interesting. Obviously jiji knew about fuuinjutsu and given his reaction, maybe he knew it was related somehow to the Uzumakis.

"What do youknow about fuuinjutsu?" jiji turns the question on him.

Naruto shrugs, twirling his noodles once more. "Not much. Just that it's the art of sealing and that it's related to the Uzumakis."

He can't help but snicker a little as jiji makes another choking sound. It was so rare that he could catch the old man off guard that he had to enjoy doing so when he did.

Jiji finally seems to gain his composure as he turns to the young boy. "Who told you this?"

Naruto had not been expecting that question, but figures he should have. It only makes sense that jiji would want to know. After all, Naruto didn't figure it was common knowledge.

"Just a friend," Naruto says with a shrug.

"Oh?" jiji asks.

Naruto nods, suddenly feeling very scrutinized. "So, uh, is it true?" he asks. He doesn't want jiji to press him any further.

"Is what true?" jiji asks. Naruto is unsure if he successfully managed to distract the old man or if jiji was just humoring him.

"Is fuuinjutsu related to the Uzumakis?"

The idea that it is, that there was such a thing as Uzumakis in the plural, is strange to think about.

Jiji sighs. "Yes, Naruto. The Uzumaki line specialized in fuuinjutsu, although there aren't many seal masters left in the world."

"What happened to them?" Naruto asks. "I mean, they would be my family, wouldn't they?"

Jiji looks at him sadly. "The Uzumaki line was destroyed, Naruto. You're the last known living member."

"Oh," Naruto looks down at his now empty bowl of ramen.

"Hokage-sama!"

Jiji looks up as a chuunin bursts into the ramen stand, panting for breath. "You're going to be late for the opening ceremony."

"Of course," jiji nodded his head at the chuunin before smiling gently at Naruto. "I'm afraid our topic of conversation veered into territory best left alone. Forgive me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto pushes the information that he was the only surviving Uzumaki into the back of his mind, burying the pain that knowledge brought him, and smiles up at the hokage. It wasn't like he didn't already know he had no family.

"My fault, jiji. Anyway, thanks for the ramen!"

"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun," jiji replies before leaving the ramen stand with the chuunin.

Naruto watches him go before a presence behind makes him turn around.

"Happy birthday, Naruto," Teuchi-jii-san says. "Want another bowl of ramen?"

He's already setting the bowl in front of Naruto, even as Naruto nods and grins. "Thanks!"

~Naruto~

Aratana is waiting for him when he gets home, her quickly becoming traditional orange frosted cake sitting on the table next to the present that had been left there.

Naruto grins and blows the candles out, making his wish for family and friends (because it's worked before and now he has Aratana so maybe if he keeps wishing things will keep getting better).

It doesn't take the two of them long to devour the cake (because Aratana may be a stickler for eating healthy but Naruto knows she has just as bad of eating habits as Naruto does, he's seen the way she can inhale ramen, she just does better at hiding it) and then Naruto tears into the orange wrapping paper to reveal a simple wooden box full of papers.

"Oh," Naruto says, attempting to keep the disappointment out of his voice and failing. He doesn't want to sound ungrateful, because really, anything is better than the nothing he got before Aratana showed up, but after his awesome set of kunai and shuriken he had kind of hoped for something equally as awesome this year.

Aratana laughs lightly at his expression and ruffles his hair.

"These are seals, Naruto," she explains. "Now, I won't teach you how to make them yet, but I will teach you how to use them."

Naruto's eyes light up at that and he turns to her. "Really? These are seals? What kind?"

Aratana smiles, moving to sit next to him and picking up the neatly wrapped bundles of paper.

"These," she says, holding up the red wrapped bundle. "Are explosive tags." Naruto grins at that because those sound exciting. "And these," she holds up the blue wrapped ones, "basically dump a whole lot of water out of them. The water is clean so in addition to using the water for attacks they are handy if you ever need water for survival. Just keep in mind that if you pump too much chakra in them the water will spew out with deadly force."

Naruto nods, thinking about the survival exercise they had gone on as a class a couple of months prior. All of the academy students had learned fast that access to fresh water was top priority when stuck in the wilderness.

"These ones," she holds up a bundle wrapped in purple. "Are basic storage seals. And these," Naruto watches as she holds up the last bundle, wrapped in orange, "are barrier seals. Activate one of these and an impenetrable barrier will erect around you affecting an area equal to the amount of chakra you put in. Keep in mind with these, though, you are required to supply a continuous amount of chakra."

Naruto nods, though he doesn't quite understand completely.

"Now," Aratana continues. "There're many more different types of seals. What you can accomplish with seals is only limited by imagination and, of course, understanding. These four types are some of my basic creations. The storage and explosive seals are simple reworkings of very common seals. But, that doesn't mean these aren't harmful. You will need to learn to differentiate between each seal and learn how to activate them and when it is appropriate to activate them before I let you carry them with you. Understood?"

"So, no pranks?" Naruto asks. And he was so hoping to get a few of the teachers soaked.

"Now, I didn't say that," Aratana says, her eyes glittering with mischief. "But, you have to know how to use them properly before you can use them for pranks. And the explosive ones are not allowed to be used for any kind of prank. They're too dangerous."

Naruto nods, but he's grinning. Aratana said he could use the tags to play pranks! That was awesome!

Naruto spends the rest of the night working on learning to differentiate each seal from the other, which was complicated by the fact that each seal was a picture of swirling lines with kanji mixed in and the fact that each one had the same basic base seal.

But Naruto persists, knowing he would learn it, even if it took him time. After all, Aratana keeps telling him it's better to take time. And she promises that once he learns to read and write properly, it'll be easier to differentiate the seals and they would start learning that tomorrow.

Naruto falls asleep at the table, a grin on his face at how awesome his birthday had been.


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto finds that learning to read and write properly is hard work, made all the more difficult by having to keep up with his academy studies and keep his skills sharp. But Aratana is a patient teacher and Naruto finds that he loves reading. Not the boring old textbook crap that the academy forces them to read, but the stories that Aratana brings are fun and exciting and interesting.

The weeks fly by and more and more things in school begin to make sense to Naruto. On top of that, Shikamaru and Chouji have started talking to him, inviting him to hang out with them. When Naruto realizes that school is just as boring actually understanding what he is reading and writing as it is when he doesn't understand, he comes to enjoy the days of skipping out with his two new friends.

He's almost positive that Ara-nee knows he's skipping class; after all, she always seems to know what's going on in his life, even when she isn't around; but she doesn't say anything and doesn't lecture him. She does happen to mention (off-handily one day while teaching him how to make a spiced fish dinner) that he shouldn't get Iruka too angry.

"Why?" Naruto asks, because he is curious as to why Ara-nee would say something like that.

Ara-nee merely offers her lopsided smile, as if remembering something, and responds simply, "He's scary when he's angry."

Naruto stares at her, not really understanding what she is saying. After all Ara-nee is one of the strongest ninjas he knows. The idea that Iruka-sensei frightens her is almost beyond comprehension.

Ara-nee grins at his confused expression and ruffles his hair. "You should flip your fish over now before it burns."

"Oh!" Naruto turns to the sizzling pan in front of him and carefully slides a spatula under the fish, grinning as it pulls away from the pan easily, before he flips it.

"Perfect," Ara-nee says. "Now go grab the plates, these will be done soon."

Naruto nods, hopping off the stool (because he stillisn't tall enough to cook on the stove without it) and grabs two plates from the cupboard. Ara-nee watches as he carefully dishes his fish up onto the plate before he dishes up her own fish. She serves the rice they'd cooked earlier and they take their seats at the table.

Dinner is delicious and Naruto decides he wouldn't mind learning a bit more about cooking. Ramen is still the best but Ara-nee has taught him that there's more out there and so much of it tastes good and he can tell there's something different from when he only ate ramen and now, where he eats all kinds of food.

Maybe Ara-nee was telling the truth about needing a balanced diet after all.

~Naruto~

Aratana sighs as she slips into the hotel room, reaching up to pull the hitai-ate off, a small smile playing at her lips as she looks down at the spiral design. Another successful bounty collected. But, more importantly, another life saved.

Dropping her bag on the single chair in the room, Aratana reaches into it to pull out her newly acquired bingo book, flipping to the back.

"The Crimson Whirlwind," she mutters, shaking her head at the name. There was a rough depiction of her with a few more details underneath the picture, including what hitai-ate she wore, but not much else. "Uzushio haitai-ate. Affiliation? A-Ranked. Hmm? I must be slipping."

She throws the book onto the bed and makes her way over to the small bathroom, tugging the tie from her hair as she goes. Sometimes she wonders if she's doing the right thing, changing the past. Other times, she wonders if she's changing enough.

All the same, she doesn't want to change too much, because then she wouldn't be able to predict anything at all. Starting with the little things, those nuisances that caused trouble or dealt death but didn't affect the future all that much, was something she felt she could do.

Of course, that didn't mean she hadn't made some big changes. Danzo's death was definitely one of them, and that had had interesting results. Itachi's best friend still being alive being one of them. The Uchiha uprising and subsequent death of most of the Uchiha clan (not only the elders planning the uprising and the ANBU who fought to stop it, but also men, women, and children who had no hand in the plans because rebellion was messy) was another surprising event. She hadn't realized Danzo had played such a big part in the massacre, but she supposes if she'd listened to Sasuke better, she would have.

Of course, she hadn't expected Madara to show up to the uprising either. Nor had she expected him to start killing off anyone and everyone, including his own clan, although looking back on it she does remember Sasuke mentioning his ancestor's presence at the massacre. It was just luck that she had been in the village that night, on her way to check on Naruto, when the fighting broke out. She probably should have paid more attention to what was happening in the village, but the massacre had been a big part in shaping Sasuke into the man he had become. She hadn't wanted to change that. She figured things would play out the same.

But Danzo was dead, Itachi hadn't been ordered to massacre the clan elders, and Aratana had stopped Madara from killing everyone as well, so that plan was out the window.

Oh well, Sasuke seemed the happier for it, so maybe he'd be easier for Naruto to befriend than her Sasuke had been?

Besides, she'd had bigger worries than making sure all the Uchihas died when Kakashi, of all people, showed up to her fight against Madara. It took all her skill to fight Madara off and not be seen by her old teacher.

"Kakashi," Aratana mutters to herself, toweling her hair dry as she flips through the bingo book once more, this time to his page. Her breath catches in her throat at his picture and she flips it shut.

It was still so _hard_ to go into Konoha, but it was getting better. Naruto was making it better. She'd been stupid, sneaking around that first year, not wanting to butt into Naruto's life, but also not wanting him to suffer the way she had as a kid. It had taken her a whole year to realize she was only hurting the both of them. She'd already changed so much; giving Naruto family wasn't going to be a bad thing.

But it was still so hard to be in Konoha for long. The whole and unharmed and the glimpses of people long dead were like a knife to the gut. But it was the glimpses of long lost friends, friends who had sacrificed themselves for her, for the belief that she could save their world, that were worse. Seeing Kakashi (well, not really seeing him because his face was covered in his ANBU mask, but she still knew who he was) had been like a chidori to the chest. And she knew what that felt like.

A smile plays over her lips as she thinks on that, a hand coming up to touch the just visible scar, over eight years old now. It's pale, white, smooth, and shaped like a star. She knows a larger one, equally just visible, plays across her left shoulder blade.

"That's another thing I'll have to change," she mutters, shaking herself out of her reflections to pull on clean clothes. "Best friends shouldn't try to kill each other. If they even become best friends."

She hopes Naruto is doing okay. She's been gone longer than she'd planned to be this time, but her mark had been a slippery one and she'd needed to tread carefully to avoid drawing unwanted attention to herself.

Of course, it helped that she could use nature chakra once more. The kitsunes approaching her had been a blessing, even if it they weren't the same as the toads and had come at an inopportune time. Leaving Naruto when she knew he was going to be vulnerable, be tricked into entering a still dangerous part of the forest, had not been something she had wanted to do. But she had survived the ordeal (she still wasn't sure what all had transpired) and had made a lifelong friend and mentor in her teacher, Iruka, because of it.

It seemed Naruto had done the same.

"Well, he is you," Aratana mutters to herself as she climbs into the bed. "Now stop worrying, you'll see him tomorrow."

That thought brings a smile to her lips. There was something about that boy, her counterpart, that had helped her to heal. She isn't one hundred percent. She doubts she ever will be. Not after the loss of her entire world and the hell she went through before that. But maybe, maybe, she could make a new life for herself here. Maybe, with her help, this Naruto could save his own world. And maybe, with her here, this Naruto wouldn't have to go through the hell she had.

Maybe.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** It's been a while, all, and I'm sorry. I can't say I'll finish this fic or the other, but I'll post what I've got and try and post as I write. Thanks all for reading!

~Naruto~

Naruto was worried. Not that he would admit it. Not that he _could_ admit it. But he was worried. Ara-nee had promised him she'd only be gone a week, ten days tops. Two weeks had gone by at this point and he still hadn't seen any sign of her.

He didn't know what to do. He couldn't tell anyone, she wasn't a citizen of Konoha, after all, and admitting he had a friend who was sneaking in and out of Konoha for the better part of three years might be considered treason.

Of course, he would admit it, if it meant making sure Ara-nee was okay. But, therein lay his other problem. He had no idea where she could even be. He had no idea what she usually did when she wasn't with him, no idea what kind of missions she completed or where she lived or who she worked for. All he knew was that he trusted her and she was usually pretty spot on when it came to telling him how long she would be gone.

Until now.

Now she was four days over due without a word, and Naruto was having a hard time convincing himself that she hadn't just abandoned him. That she hadn't decided she was better off without the brat of the village.

He shook his head, worrying his sheets as he sat in bed and stared out the window at the full moon. Things were getting better. They were. Iruka-sensei was actually becoming a close friend and mentor, and his friendship was blossoming with Shikamaru and Choji, although he still didn't know why the two had suddenly decided to be his friend. After all, it had come out of the blue, a simple invite to have lunch with them.

Naruto had been wary at first because of the way kids normally treated him. Like the others who had tricked him into the forest, pretending to want to be his friends. It was always worse when they pretended, only for Naruto to learn the joke was on him.

But he had accepted. Shikamaru and Choji had always been nice to him, if distant, and they seemed like fun people to hang out with. Lunch turned into a daily occurrence, sneaking out of class for treats a weekly one, and Shikamaru and Choji had cemented themselves as Naruto's first friends by the time the week was up.

Ara-nee had been happy for him, sending him with treats for his friends on occasion, treats that Shikamaru and Choji had claimed to be some of their favorites. Naruto had thought it weird at the time that that didn't surprise him. He didn't think it weird now. Ara-nee had a startling ability to know a lot about things Naruto didn't think she'd know anything about.

So Naruto had friends and a mentor who was quickly becoming an older brother. He had jiji and Old Man Teuchi, and Ayame-nee-san. But Ara-nee had become the family he had always longed for. The mother who tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight and the older sister who teased him and trained him.

And the idea that she had left him scared him. Of course, the alternative was worse. The idea that she had been hurt or killed made Naruto squirm and his stomach do uneasy flip-flops that left him nauseated. He wondered if this was how Sasuke felt when his parents died.

"No, she's fine," Naruto mutters to himself, forcing himself to lay down and pulling his nightcap further onto his head. "She's fine and she'll be back and everything will be good."

 _Besides,_ he adds in his mind, squeezing his eyes shut. _It's my birthday tomorrow. She hasn't missed one since she showed up. She wouldn't start now._

 _Would she?_

 _~Naruto~_

The morning proves all Naruto's worries were for nothing as he woke late in the day to the smell of pancakes and bacon. His birthday was the only day Ara-nee made pancakes and bacon, a treat he absolutely loved.

Scrambling out of bed he runs from the room, not caring that he trails his blankets most of the way there or that his nightcap is sitting lopsided on his head as he barrels into the open arms of the one person he tells himself he was foolish for worrying that she would abandon him.

The laughter that rumbles from her chest and shakes his frame as she hugs him tight warms him from the inside out.

"Happy tenth birthday, Naruto-kun," she says, ruffling his hair as he pulls back.

"Ara-nee, you were gone so long," Naruto points out.

"Is that worry I detect?" Ara-nee asks, her eyes sparkling as she stands to flip the pancakes before they burn.

Naruto huffs and crosses his arms. "No. Of course not."

Ara-nee's mouth pulls up into a half smile. "Of course not," she repeats, flipping the pancakes onto a plate. "I missed you too, pipsqueak."

"Oi! I'm not that little anymore," Naruto protests, gratefully accepting the plate of pancakes and bacon she hands him as he attempts to surreptitiously assure himself she was unharmed.

"No, I suppose you're not," Ara-nee chuckles, measuring up against herself to find him nearly at her shoulder. "Keep growing like this and you'll be taller than me soon enough."

"Really?" Naruto asks. That was an exciting prospect. He'd always been the smallest in the class, comparable to most of the girls and smaller than the rest of them. The idea of being taller than someone else was exciting to him. Especially someone older than him.

"Really," Ara-nee says before swatting him on the butt with her spatula. "Now sit down and eat before that gets cold. I want to hear all about how things are going and how you did on your tests. And stop eying me, I'm fine. No injuries, I promise."

"Right," Naruto says, sliding onto his seat and beginning to talk about how he had actually passed his tests this year (passing didn't necessarily mean top marks or even good ones, but hey, he hadn't failed completely), and how they were still hard even being able to read the material and how he wished textbooks weren't so boring.

Ara-nee listens attentively as she eats her own stack of pancakes, laughing at the pranks Naruto had pulled while she was away.

"But it would have been better if I'd been able to use my seals," Naruto points out, finishing his story with a pointed glare at Ara-nee.

Ara-nee merely smiles. "You've gotten very good at activating the seals and you've proven that you can recognize the differences between each seal now, but I want to test you one more time this week to make sure you're ready to really use them."

Naruto groans. "It's been a _year._ You already told me I was ready to use them. That's why I get to carry them with me now."

"You're ready to use them in an emergency," Ara-nee points out. " _That_ is why I allow you to carry them. But they can still be dangerous; I have to make sure you can use them properly if you are going to prank with them. Besides," she grins at this. "There's a few modifications I want to show you that will make one of them more fun."

Naruto grins back. While he's upset that Ara-nee _still_ won't let him use the seals for pranks (and he had attempted to only to find said seal disappear in a flash of smoke and a very angry Ara-nee waiting for him at home), the idea that she was going to help him plan a prank (because why else would she show him the modifications) was awesome.

This past year had been tough. Learning to read and write properly was difficult, but Naruto learned to love it. Going to class and keeping up his shuriken jutsu on top of that was a pain (throwing more than 5 at a time was still tricky). And Ara-nee had started going over his taijutsu forms, making him repeat his katas only a bajillion times until she declared it perfect, then making him do them a bajillion more.

She promised him that once he was good enough, she was going to start teaching him some new fighting moves, which sounded awesome. But it was still hard work. Ara-nee wouldn't let him go the easy route on anything and she pushed him to his limits time and again until there were days he couldn't even move after training with her.

Naruto loved every moment of it.

Sure, he couldn't brag about his training to the other kids like Kiba did. And Ara-nee didn't pick him up from school to go practice like Sasuke's brother did at least two times a week. But Ara-nee still trained him and had dinner with him and tucked him into bed at least three times a week, and Naruto couldn't ask for more.

~Naruto~

"How have you been, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto slurps up the noodles he had shoved in his mouth and swallows, turning to smile at jiji.

"I'm good," he says, happy when jiji smiles back. The old man had asked him a few times after his last birthday about fuuinjutsu and what he knew about it and Naruto had floundered for a time about what to say. But Ara-nee had given him a couple of scrolls on the beginnings of fuuinjutsu and Naruto had shown the old man and told him how he was reading up on the stuff and waiting to learn from a teacher. Jiji had been rather shocked when Naruto had pulled out the scrolls, but seemed rather proud when Naruto declared he was going to be an awesome seal master.

Naruto was sure jiji didn't believe him when he said he had found the scrolls at the library but jiji never pressed the matter. Naruto was glad. He hated lying to the old man, but despite what Ara-nee told him he was almost positive that if he told the hokage about her she wouldn't be able to visit him as often. Or at all.

So Naruto kept his mouth shut on the matter and jiji seemed to accept that for the most part. And if Naruto noticed his ANBU guards were extra vigilant he didn't mention it. After all, it didn't seem to affect Ara-nee's ability to visit him and train him.

"And how is school going?" Jiji asks.

"Great," Naruto replies, his grin widening. He'd told jiji about Shikamaru and Choji of course, but it always felt good to talk about his friends. "Shikamaru and Choji and I are planning on coming to ramen tomorrow for lunch.

Jiji chuckles. "I understand the three of you skip out on your classes rather frequently." He doesn't seem particularly displeased, even if his tone is slightly reprimanding.

Naruto shrugs. "We're not that bad," he defends. "And Iruka-sensei doesn't say anything."

Jiji raises a brow at this.

"Okay," Naruto relents. "He yells at us, but it's his fault for telling us to stand in the hall when Shikamaru falls asleep and Choji eats and I play a prank. What are we supposed to do? Just stand there? He's practically handing out free passes from class!"

"I believe sending you into the hallway is supposed to be a form of punishment," Jiji informs him. Naruto snorts at that. It wasn't much of a punishment if they could just leave the academy for some fun in the village. "Although, if that is how you see it, I might need to speak with Iruka about it."

Naruto's eyes widen in horror as he stares at the hokage. "You wouldn't," he says.

The old man smiles. "And what does your friend think of this?" he asks.

Naruto opens his mouth before closing it, giving him a confused look. "Shikamaru and Choji? They're the ones sneaking out with me. It's fun."

"And your friend who told you about fuuinjutsu?" jiji asks. "You haven't talked about them much since then."

Naruto stares at the hokage. It seems that he wasn't quite as willing to set aside the matter as Naruto first thought.  
"I dunno," he says at last. "They're really busy doing stuff around the village."

There, that should be vague enough to not give anything away while satisfying the old man. Plus, it was true. Ara-nee did do things around the village, if by around he meant in the lands surrounding the village…

"I see," jiji finally says. He offers Naruto a smile. "Well, I am glad you are doing so well. Happy tenth birthday, Naruto-kun."

"Thanks!" Naruto grins before shoveling another large bite ramen into his mouth, watching the hokage thank Old Man Teuchi and make his way from the ramen stand. He'd have to be a little more careful about what he told jiji from now on. He didn't want Ara-nee to get in trouble.

"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun," Ara-nee greets when Naruto arrives home. He'd had to take the long route back from the ramen stand as he had stayed far later than he usually did and had to keep to back streets to avoid most of the festival goers on his way home.

Luckily Rat no longer seems to be on his detail, hadn't been for at least two years, and his other ANBU watchers were rather attentive. Not as attentive as Dog, who also seemed to have been pulled from Naruto duty within the past few months, had been, but still rather attentive all the same.

Naruto grins, throwing his arms around Ara-nee's waist in a surprise hug. It still saddens him that whenever he surprises her with a hug she would stiffen momentarily before returning the gesture in kind, but she was getting better.

"Thanks, Ara-nee," Naruto says, pulling away to grin up at her. She had a bit of flour smeared on her cheek and a clump of orange frosting in her hair and that made Naruto grin all the more.

"Oh, you," Ara-nee laughs, ruffling his hair. "Did you stuff yourself on ramen? Should we open presents first or are you hungry for cake?"

It was the one day that Ara-nee let him eat as unhealthy as he wanted, unhealthy being pancakes and bacon for breakfast, ramen for lunch, and cake for dinner. It was pretty awesome.

"Can we do presents first?" Naruto asks, bouncing up and down.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Ara-nee laughs, nudging him towards the table.

Naruto's jaw drops as he sees not one, but five presents sitting wrapped neatly on his table. The first he recognizes as the gift Iruka-sensei had given him the day before, along with a wish for a happy birthday. Naruto had thrown the gift in his bag and nearly forgotten it in his worry over Ara-nee's absence.

Two were in Ara-nee's custom orange wrapping paper, one was in green, and the fifth was in blue. He turns confused eyes on Ara-nee, who just shrugs with a grin.

"I only got you two," she says. "The others came while you were out with the old man."

Naruto grins at that. Ara-nee was the only other person he knew who didn't call jiji the hokage or Sandaime-sama.

"But you know who they're from," Naruto accuses.

Ara-nee grins wider. "Well, the green one is from the same person who got you that frog stuffed animal you like so much," she says with a wink. Naruto blushes at that. He didn't think Ara-nee knew about that. "And the blue one is from the same person who gave you your nightcap."

Naruto stares at her. How did she even know those two things had been gifts, let alone that the same people had sent these gifts? He'd received the frog and nightcap when he was _five._ Of course, he should know by now that Ara-nee knows basically everything.

"Okay," Naruto says. "But who are they?"

Ara-nee just smiles. "I suggest opening the blue wrapped one first. It probably needs water."

Naruto squints at her before turning to the oddly shaped blue package. _It probably needs water?_ he repeats in his head. It didn't look like any animal he could think of, and it wasn't moving.

Regardless, he tears the paper away, revealing a small blue painted clay pot with a plant inside. "Oh," he says, staring at the pot. How did the person know he liked gardening? He reaches out, brushing his fingers over the emerald leaves and small flower buds.

"Here," Ara-nee says. Naruto glances over to see her offering a cup with water in it. "Moon flowers are some of my favorites."

"Is that what this is?" Naruto asks.

"Mmm hmm," Ara-nee says. "You'll have to keep it on a window sill, and we'll have to watch it tonight."

"Why?" Naruto asks, carefully pouring the room temperature water into the pot.

"You'll see," Ara-nee says, her eyes sparkling.

"How did they know?"

"Know what?"

"That I like to garden?" Naruto asks.

Ara-nee raises an eyebrow, glancing around the small apartment. Most open spaces and flat surfaces had at least one plant growing on it. "I think anyone who came into your apartment would know."

"Yeah but, why?" Naruto asks, honestly bewildered.

Ara-nee smiles softly at him, the kind of smile that assured Naruto she really does care about him. "Is it so surprising you are precious to more people than you know?"

Naruto blinks at her because yes, it was surprising. He had never really thought anyone cared about him, not really, not even jiji. Not until he met Ara-nee. He hadn't even given the gifts he'd received when he was five much thought. Well, much thought beyond how excited he'd been to get a gift on his birthday.

Ara-nee sighs quietly, ruffling his hair once more before pushing the green wrapped gift his way. Naruto smiles in return, still feeling stunned as he picked up the second gift from his mystery friend. It wasn't very large and it was mostly soft, but there were hard parts as well.

Curious, Naruto rips the paper off, his eyes lighting up in delight at the frog wallet that the green paper exposes. He'd never had a real wallet before; mostly he'd just kept his money in an envelope.

"Awesome," Naruto says, grinning.

Ara-nee chuckles, a look of fondness on her face as she studies Naruto as he holds the wallet.

Next was Iruka's gift, which contained a nice card (that Naruto could actually read) and a coupon for all he could eat at Ichiraku Ramen. Awesome!

"Now yours," Naruto says, grinning as he reaches across the table for the larger of the two orange wrapped gifts.

"Ah ah," Ara-nee says, smirking as she pulls the gift away and pushes the smaller one in front of him. "This one first."

Naruto grins at her, unrepentant as he rips into the orange paper to reveal: "A scroll?"

"Aa," Ara-nee says, that smirk still in place.

Naruto eyes her warily before carefully unfurling the scroll and looking at the contents.

"Taijutsu?"

"Aa," Ara-nee confirms again. "You're sufficient with the academy style taijutsu. I figure it's time you learned a different style."

Naruto glances at her, curious. He's also positive that he's more than just sufficient in the academy style, but Ara-nee makes sure he knows there's always room for improvement. "Whose style is this?"

Ara-nee's smirk turns positively wicked. "Mine," she says.

"I get to learn your taijutsu style?" Naruto asks, suddenly much more interested and much more wary.

"Aa," Ara-nee confirms. "Consider it a promise. You'll be a master in no time."

For some reason that smirk is still present on her face, making Naruto apprehensive. "Thanks," he says. His eyes travel to the second package and Ara-nee chuckles.

"Here," she says, pushing the bulkier package towards him.

Naruto grins, tearing into orange paper once more and staring down at a brand new leg hostler.

"I figured you'd need a new one," Ara-nee says, moving around to point out a few things. "Considering you need a safe place to store your seals so they don't get damaged or activated by accident. This pouch here is waterproof and chakra proof, meaning you can't accidently activate any of your seals while you carry them. Plenty of room for your weapons too. And all easy access."

"Wow," Naruto whispers, fingering the soft leather of the pouch. It was beautifully made, even if it was simple. "Thank you."

Ara-nee laughs, ruffling his hair. "You're welcome, pipsqueak," she says. "Happy birthday."


End file.
